Charlotte edges past Rice for 77-76 win
HOUSTON (AP) -- Terrence Williams scored 19 points, including the game-winning bucket, to lift Charlotte to a 77-76 win over Rice on Saturday night.
Trailing by four with 36 seconds left, Charlotte (13-16, 6-10 Conference USA) got a 3-pointer from Pierria Henry to trim it to 76-75. Braxton Ogbueze then got a steal at the other end, setting up William's winning jumper with nine seconds to go.
Rice's Seth Gearhart missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Mike Thorne Jr. and Torin Dorn scored 19 apiece for Charlotte, which hit 30 of 60 from the field and controlled the boards 37-31. Thorne and Dorn also had eight rebounds apiece.
Rice (10-18, 7-9) retook the lead midway through the second half during a 13-0 run that made it 57-50, but couldn't repel the late Charlotte surge.
Marcus Jackson led Rice with 21 points, Bishop Mency added 20 and Gearhart 16.